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MC-IRSES - International research staff exchange scheme (IRSES)

Obiettivo

In Egypt, other African, Arabic countries and some European countries there are hundreds of old water masonry structures that are in bad need of preservation and maintenance. These structures are suffering from several problems, salinity attack, cracks and other difficulties. It is very important to preserve these structures because millions of people depend on them to regulate and distribute water for agricultural, industrial and drinking purposes. The replacement of these structures is very expensive. Also, the historical and artistic values of some of these structures are invaluable. Currently, some repair works are being done by Egyptian institutes and universities mainly focused on treatment of cracks and other mechanical properties. However the physical properties have not been investigated because of lack of knowledge and experience. Meanwhile some EU institutes have considerable experience in building climatology but limited experience regarding semi arid areas. The integration of the different experiences between Egypt and EU countries could lead to innovative methodologies and strategies necessary to preserve those facilities. This would lead to more saving of cost and time. Organizing seminars, workshops and conferences among the participants in the project will be an effective way to exchange skills and ideas. Through the project, Egyptian research and field staff will be trained on the methods used in Europe, whereas European researchers will learn about the local conditions and required strategies in Egypt. The main objective of this project is to exchange and promote the experience in preservation of water masonry structures and pave the way to spread this type of experience to African and Arabic Countries. The project will establish and reinforce the long-term research cooperation through exchange of researchers for short periods.